Surface-contact electric railway.



PATENTED JAN. 2, 1906.

G. H. MOFEATERS. SURFACE CONTACT ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.15, 1904.

FIG 2 BY H Q WQQ ATTORNEY WITNESSES; @M X? UNrrEp s rn'rns PATENT OFFICE,

GEORGE H. MOFEATERS, OF JOHNSTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE LORAIN STEEL COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA,

SURFACE-CONTACT ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 2, 1906.

Application filed August 15, 1904. Serial No. 220,720.

To uZL whom it may concern:

Beit known that LGEORGE H. McFnATnRs, of Johnstown, in the county of Cambria and State of Pennsylvania-have invented a new and useful Improvement in Surface-Contact Electric Railways, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention has relation to certain new and useful improvements in circuit-closing devices for electric railways of the surfacecontact type, and is more particularly designed to improve the circuit-closing device or contact-box described and claimed in my Patent No. 618,179, of January 2A, 1899, by providing means whereby the conductor which connects the movable contact or electrode with the supply side of the system is protected against any possible injury due to the formation of arcs between the contacts or electrodes.

With this object in view my invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement, and combination of parts, all substantially as hereinafter described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of a circuit-closing device embodying my invention with the upper portion of the containing cup or vesse removed. Fig. 2 is a vertical diametrical section of the circuit-closing device, and Fig. 3 an enlarged sectional View of the movable contact or electrode and its attached parts.

The numeral 1 designates the sealed insulating containing cup or vessel having the conductor 2 in its bottom wall and the conductor 3 in its top wall, substantially as in my said patent.

4 is the upper fixed contact or electrode connected to the conductor 3, and 5 is the lower movable contact or electrode connected to the conductor 2 by means of the flexible ribbon 6.

7 is the transversely-disposed armature, to which is secured, by means of a screw 8, the cup or holder 9,which contains the electrode 5.

10 is an arc-guard in the form of a thin circular disk of insulating material, which is secured between the armature 7 and the cup 9 and which is preferably of but slightly less diameter than the interior of the cup 1, so that it will overlie all portions of the ribbon 6, and thereby prevent any arc which may form between the two electrodes from coming in contact with said ribbon. I also preferably entirely insulate the armature 7 from the cup 9 and from the ribbon 6, so that the only electrical connection between the ribbon and the said cup is that formed by the screw 8. To this end the armature is surrounded by a thickness 11 of insulating material, and the screw 8, where it passes through the armature, is surrounded by an insulating-bushing 12. By reason of this insulation the armature offers but little attraction to an are which might otherwise occasionally get around the edge of the guard 10.

The object and advantages of the above-described improvements will be better appreciated when it is remembered that the circuits in these cups are broken at a time when the interior of the cup is still more or less within the magnetic field of the car-magnet, which tends to distort the are so that it would tend to injure the parts within the cup but for the protection herein described.

While, as above stated, my invention has been particularly designed for use in a contact device of the character shown in my said patent, No. 618,179, my invention is obviously applicable to other forms of boxes, and I do not, therefore, wish to limit myself to the exact embodiment thereof which I have herein shown and described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an electric contact-box, the combination with an upper fixed electrode, a lower movable electrode, and a flexible conductor connecting the movable electrode with the supply side of the system, of an arc guard or shield, in the form of a thin plate or disk of insulating material, below the movable contact and covering the flexible conductor.

2. In an electric contact-box, the combination with an upper fixed electrode, a lower movable electrode, an armature by which the movable electrode is carried, and a flexible conductor connecting the movable electrode with the supply side of the system, of a thin disk or plate of insulating material secured between the movable contact and the armature, and overlying both the armature and the flexible conductor.

3. In an electric contact-box, the combina- TOC tion With an upper fixed electrode, a lower mature from the conductor and also from the I movable electrode, an armature carrying said movable electrode. movable electrode, and a flexible conductor In testimony whereof I have afiixed my sig- Which connects the movable electrode With the nature in presence of two Witnesses.

5 supply side of the system, of an arc guard or shield, in the form of a light plate or disk of GEORGE MOFEATERS' insulating material below the movable con- Witnesses: tact and covering the flexible conductor, to- LORETTO OCONNELL,

gether With means for insulating the said ar- H. W. SMITH. 

